


Stepping Out

by buzzbuzz34



Series: AroAceingTheLine 2021 [2]
Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Aromantic, Aromantic Character, Gen, aroaceingtheline2021, arophobia, romance repulsed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:14:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29657403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buzzbuzz34/pseuds/buzzbuzz34
Summary: Saira is aromantic.  She has known for ages, and she has no desire for any sort of relationship.  However, her family continues to pressure her and try to set her up with possible suitors, and she has had enough.  Her parents may never understand her feelings, but Hamid and Aziza will always have their sister's back.
Relationships: Aziza al-Tahan & Saira al-Tahan, Hamid Saleh Haroun al-Tahan & Saira al-Tahan
Series: AroAceingTheLine 2021 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2177421
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18
Collections: AroAceing the Line





	Stepping Out

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 2 of aroaceingtheline 2021! Today I went with the prompts of In the Closet and Coming Out.

Saira’s hands shook as she read the missive from her father. Yet again he tried to set her up with some nice suitor from a good family. He didn’t care about her happiness, only the business, and, well, a match like that would be good press for the al-Tahans, after all.

She wasn’t sure it was better or worse that her mother seemed concerned about Saira finding someone to share her life with as opposed to focusing solely on the reputation of the family and the business. The problem was that Saira didn’t _want_ someone to share her life with. She was perfectly happy on her own. And the idea of a relationship, even an arranged one, made her feel sick to her stomach.

With a heavy sigh, Saira sat at her desk and prepared to write a letter. This time, she would tell them that she had no interest in a relationship of any sort, no interest in romance or even the imitation thereof. She would tell them that if Father was so concerned about the bank’s reputation, then he could find another way to sort that out, rather than by setting her up with someone from another well-respected family. She would tell her mother that she was better off playing matchmaker for one of her other children than wasting her time with Saira.

The pen shook in her hands. She knew she didn’t want a relationship, neither romantic nor platonic. She was fine on her own. She was _happy_ on her own. She had her work and her family and her friends, and that was all she wanted.

But society didn’t understand that, and she knew her parents wouldn’t either. Especially her father. Her mother might make an attempt, but it would come back around to Saira’s well-being, how she worked herself too hard, didn’t she want someone with whom she could share the burden? Someone to come home to at the end of a long day? Someone to start a family with?

They wouldn’t listen to Saira, only to the misconceptions that inundated the world.

So, instead of explaining herself and telling her parents to stop trying to set her up with people, citing her better interests though they knew nothing about the way she felt inside, Saira simply wrote:

_I do wish I could meet him for the dinner you have arranged, however I am afraid that my work at the meritocratic offices does not permit me the time to do so. Please extend my apologies.  
_

_I hope you and Mother are well._

_Love, Saira_

*

Aziza had returned from another tour the night before, but there were always plenty more anecdotes to tell as she, Hamid, and Saira sat together after dinner. Hamid read over one of the playbills while Saira listened intently to Aziza gossiping about her co-stars.

“Oh, Saira, I should absolutely put you in touch with this alto I worked with. You two would be _such_ a power couple.”

“Gods, not you too.”

Saira hadn’t intended to speak with such vitriol, to have the words be spat out with disdain and hatred. But the last two dinners were spent with the whole family together, which of course meant more prying questions and well-meaning yet nauseating nudges regarding the lack of Saira’s romantic life, and she was sick of it.

“I’m sorry,” she uttered quickly as Aziza flinched backwards and Hamid dropped the playbill in surprise. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

After the initial shock at her outburst, Aziza’s face softened with concern, and she came to sit on the couch next to Saira.

“What’s going on?”

Saira always kept it together. She had to. But in that moment, her calm disposition vanished, and she collapsed, holding her head in her hands.

“I just _hate_ everyone trying to set me up with people. Thinking I must want a relationship. I _don’t_. I don’t want a relationship, I don’t want to fall in love, I don’t want _any_ of that, and it’s exhausting when people don’t _listen to me_.”

“I didn’t know, I’m sorry,” Aziza replied softly, placing a gentle hand on Saira’s back.

She continued, “So it’s easier to just make up excuses, to blame work for not having the time or to say I’m not feeling well, because no one seems to care that I don’t want a partnership or a relationship, that I don’t feel that romantic pull, that I’m more than content as I am. But nobody seems to understand that, or even _try_ to understand that.”

Shutting her eyes tight and fighting back the tears she’d held in for so, so long, Saira didn’t see Hamid step up to her side as well, and she was caught entirely off guard when her brother and sister wrapped her in a tight hug. She shuddered with a sob, and then opened her eyes and wrapped her arms around them.

“I’m sorry,” Hamid murmured. “I know I’ve asked questions and such too, I… I should have listened to you. I’m sorry.”

“I know you both meant well, it’s okay,” Saira said.

“No, it’s not. You asked us to stop prying, to stop teasing, to stop trying to set you up with people, and we didn’t,” Aziza replied. “That was wrong of us.”

Saira took a couple heavy breaths as Hamid sat on her other side. The three of them barely fit on the small couch, but it was comforting to have them so close.

“I just don’t want a relationship. I don’t want romance. I don’t feel that way, and the idea of even pretending to go through the motions…” Saira’s voice trailed off as her stomach clenched up.

“And it’s not like I can tell Mother and Father,” she carried on. “I believe the both of you when you say you’re sorry. The two of them? They don’t listen at the best of times.”

“Well, if they start pressuring you again, just say the word, and we’ll find a way to change the subject or shut them down,” Hamid insisted. “And if you ever decide to tell them how you feel about romance and relationships and all that, know that we’re on your side.”

Aziza nodded in agreement and squeezed Saira’s hand, which was currently clasped between both of her own.

Saira’s eyes glanced back and forth between the kind faces of her siblings. Their eyes were mixed with apologies and support, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“Thank you,” she said. “I’ve been so scared to say anything for ages. It just became easier to make excuses than try to explain, but… it feels good to say something. And it feels good knowing that both of you still have my back.”

“Of course,” Aziza replied. “We love you. And you’re perfect just as you are.”

Saira extracted her hand from Aziza’s grasp so that she could wrap an arm around each of her siblings and pull them in tight to her side.

“I love you both so, so much, though,” she added quietly. “And I always will.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! And shout out to @aroaceingtheline.tumblr.com for setting up this event!
> 
> If you want to find more of my writing, head on over to kellanswritingblog.tumblr.com, or feel free to check out my personal, celsidebottom.tumblr.com <3


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